Understanding ArcEquine's 'buttons and lights' (before Aug 1st, 2016)

Before watching the short video, we suggest you read through the notes below and then it will be much easier to follow ...

1. To switch on the ArcEquine, press and hold the LEFT button until you hear a 'beep'. A GREEN light on the LEFT button indicates the unit is charged and ready for use. A RED light on the LEFT button indicates that the unit needs to be charged.
(If you purchased your ArcEquine unit after August 1st 2016, please watch the other video in this series as the lights on your unit are slightly different - you will find it on YouTube here ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us6yc0GbsFI )

2. Selecting the required treatment programme is also done using the LEFT button. Pressing it briefly will move forward between the programmes - 1, 2, 3, 4, and back to 1, indicated by the small lights at the top. The selected programme will be shown by a RED light.

3. Once you have selected the required programme, pressing the RIGHT button briefly will start the delivery of that treatment programme. The RIGHT button also indicates whether you have a good 'connection' or not. GREEN confirms you have a good connection, whereas RED indicates that you have not - and you will need to adjust the leg strap, perhaps adding more ArcEquine coupling gel to achieve a good connection.

4 After 30 seconds, the light under the RIGHT button will turn OFF to save battery power and the small light at the top will change from 'solid' to 'flashing', and will continue to do so throughout the delivery period.
Briefly pressing the RIGHT button again will turn ON the light under the RIGHT button and the small light at the top will change back to 'solid' for a further 30 seconds.

5. We suggest applying a protective stable bandage or boot over the unit for the treatment period.

6. At the end of the three hour delivery period, the ArcEquine unit will switch itself off, waiting for you to remove it from your horse or pony. If you wish to remove it before the delivery of the treatment is complete, you can switch it off by pressing and holding the LEFT button until you hear a 'beep', then release.

To see how to put an ArcEquine unit onto your horse or pony, take a look at this short video too ... https://youtu.be/95VLhWiRKRM

How to put an ArcEquine on your horse or pony

Before watching the short video, we suggest you read through the notes below and then it will be much easier to follow...

1.      Align the two holes on the liner with the two press studs on the leg strap
2.      Fix the Carbon Pads to the leg strap using the press studs, this will also secure the leg strap liner. Carbon rubber pads should be wiped clean with warm water after each use.
3.      Apply a small amount to the carbon rubber pads, the Conductive Gel ensures good electrical connectivity with the skin. The conductive gel complies with all equine and veterinary regulations, is propylene glycol free and water-soluble.
4.      Once the liner and pads have been attached to the leg strap, insert the Delivery Unit into the strap’s pouch and ensure that the electrical lead is inserted fully into the bottom of the delivery unit. Attach the leg strap with the delivery unit to the outside of the cannon bone, making sure to rotate the strap between healthy legs each day. There is no need to over-tighten the strap, the carbon rubber pads are very sensitive and no significant pressure is required to maintain connectivity. To protect the unit whilst on your horses leg, we advise wrapping with a soft stable bandage.

      - Never strap the device over an open wound or skin irritation.
- The ArcEquine is safe to use on injury’s that have not broken the skin, providing the horse is accepting of this.
- Always rotate the device between legs for each 3 hour treatment.

Survey reveals encouraging veteran health status

In a recent survey of owners with veteran horses and ponies aged 15 or over, equine healthcare brand ArcEquine discovered, perhaps surprisingly, that almost 60% of older equines are geldings, 39% are mares and just over 1% are stallions.

1500 responses were collated, mostly from the UK, with over 75% of owners with veterans caring for one, two or three aged horses or ponies. Most (59%) enjoy hacking, with dressage (36%) the most popular competition discipline and only 24% are completely retired.

Taking a closer look at veteran health, the survey results confirmed that over 72% are in ‘good’ body condition and that over 75% have annual ‘flu vaccinations and almost 70% have been vaccinated for tetanus in the last 12 months. However just under 14% have not received any protective vaccinations in the same time period.

The most common ‘unwanted’ behaviour amongst the veteran population is tail-rubbing, with 24% rubbing their tail at some point in the last year, although encouragingly, over 49% displayed none of a comprehensive list of so-called stereotypical or other undesirable behaviours.

Signs of ageing are inevitable in older equines and not surprisingly, joint stiffness (47%) is the most common, along with arthritis (38%) and lameness (23%), although 17% were reported as not currently showing any clinical signs or symptoms associated with ageing.

The news is even better when it comes to the incidence of diseases and disorders, as over 46% have a clean bill of health. As might be expected however, musculoskeletal conditions (23%) top the list of reported problems, with dental issues (11%) Cushing’s syndrome (11%) and respiratory disease (9%) much less prevalent.

Euthanasia of older equines is almost inevitable at some point, as very few die of natural causes. The most common reason for making that decision was confirmed as acute severe pain, followed by incurable disease causing pain, anticipated quality of life and equine veterinary advice. The most acceptable method of euthanasia is felt by the majority to be sedation and lethal injection.

On a much more positive note, owners of veteran horses and ponies report the use of a wide variety of complementary therapies and treatments to improve the physical health and wellbeing of their ageing equine friends, but with very varying degrees of success. The most effective were reported to be physiotherapy, sports massage and microcurrent therapy.

ArcEquine’s Research Associate Jack Thirkell, whose role includes planning and managing the company’s growing portfolio of clinical research projects, confirmed; “Owners of veteran horses and ponies are known to be amongst the most caring and this survey confirms that as a group, they consider microcurrent therapy to be one of the most effective at supporting both physical health and wellbeing in their much-loved ‘golden oldies’. Our ongoing research hopes to clarify these benefits in more detail, but our survey results reveal a generally positive picture, confirming that many older equines are still enjoying active lives without significant problems.”

A complete ArcEquine kit contains everything you need to get started and costs £540.00.

Contact the ArcEquine office on 01580 755504, email enquiries@arc-family.com for more information or visit www.arcequine.com where you can purchase an ArcEquine from the secure online store -  and why not join our online communities on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Five things you may not know about microcurrent therapy

As more riders become aware of the benefits of ArcEquine’s unique microcurrent therapy, there might still be some things you don’t yet know about this cutting-edge technology, so here are just five key facts to get you up to speed ...

     1.  ArcEquine microcurrent therapy works throughout the whole body, so rotating the ArcEquine unit around the horse’s legs for each daily, three-hour treatment will help treat all injuries, in all types of tissue, wherever they are on the horse.

     2.  Drug-free, non-invasive and easy to use, the pocket-sized ArcEquine unit uses sub-sensory microcurrents that are not ‘felt’ by the horse.

     3.  ArcEquine units are used by a growing number of leading international riders, for whom the technology is becoming their ‘secret weapon’ in the quest for improved performance and competition results.

     4.  Increasingly recommended by equine vets as an effective treatment modality, both as a stand-alone and as an adjunct to other treatments, ArcEquine offers support and free advice to all customers.

     5.  ArcEquine is equally effective at prevention, as it will facilitate healing of minor niggles before they develop into major injuries and also supports faster recovery after strenuous training and competition workloads.

Everyone is talking about ArcEquine and now you’ll be able to confidently join the discussions.

A complete ArcEquine kit contains everything you need to get started and costs £540.00 from the secure online store at www.arcequine.com or by contacting the office on 01580 755504.

The ArcEquine website has lots of information and case studies – and why not join the discussions on facebook, Twitter and Google+

Solstice's recovery is almost complete

If you follow this blog, you'll probably remember the horrific accident that happened to Bryony Barraclough's trakehner gelding Solstice in January this year - you can read the original post, review the images and watch a short video - here ...http://arcequinesays.blogspot.com/2016/05/solstice-is-back-from-brink.html

Well the amazing news is that with the support of ArcEquine's microcurrent unit, Solstice has almost completely recovered, as these recent photographs taken in mid September, some 8 months on,  clearly show....





Bryony confirmed; "Solstice is living out and has absolutely no problems. My vet visited and was amazed at his progress. He'll have the winter off and then I'll start working him in the spring."

It's yet another successful recovery from serious injury in which ArcEquine has proved a valuable adjunct to veterinary care and an owner's diligent management. Find out more at www.arcequine.com

ArcEquine success in Dubai with veteran, injured and event horses

Sophi and Macbeth at the Arabian Ranches competition

Sophia Ashcroft is based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and has been using an ArcEquine very successfully to support her veteran Macbeth, as she explains...

“Macbeth is a Swedish Warmblood gelding now aged 22. I have competed him in dressage to Intermediate 1 level, but he’s now semi-retired, which means no travelling long distances to shows or to those that involve overnight stays in temporary stabling. We’ve also stepped down to competing at Advanced level only, so no pirouettes are required.

“I’ve owned Macbeth for four years and he was bought as a dressage schoolmaster. His dietary supplements include Tumeric, Cortaflex, and Pentosan HA Gold and he has a monthly visit from the physiotherapist. He wears magnetic boots and a magnetic blanket when stabled, but I remove them when he has the ArcEquine unit on.

“I compete at both Dressage (FEI Prix St Georges), side saddle, and Eventing – I was the U.A.E. open champion in 2014 and 2015. I also teach at the local branch of the Pony Club. 

Macbeth in his paddock - not bad for a desert!

“I decided to use the ArcEquine on Macbeth partly because I was curious to use him as test case to compare with my injured horse to see if the ArcEquine really did work and wasn't just a placebo to calm the nerves of an over protective owner. Macbeth had also started to trip quite a lot behind and I was concerned that his old suspensory injury was back.  It was the start of summer and I know Macbeth always suffers with the heat - he's flat, drops weight, and his hind legs swell – and as I'm based in Dubai, with an average temperature of 45 degrees and humidity up to 90% in the summer months, most of the day is spent stabled in air conditioning. So I planned a schedule of long walk hacks for Macbeth and cut his food down (including removing the racehorse mix) for the summer and this coincided with the start of the six week ArcEquine therapy.”

Macbeth also carries a sidesaddle

“My observations included:

·         The swelling in his back legs is significantly less than previous years 

·         His mane and tail are growing like weeds! He has never had such a full and beautiful tail; people used to laugh and suggest a clip-in hair piece!

·         His energy levels are up and he has this cheeky glint in his eye! Despite the reduced food, he wants to work and now likes to kick his heels up whilst out hacking.  Needless to say the planned walk hacks lasted all of two weeks. 

·         He looks muscled, toned and strong.  People are in disbelief when I tell them he's 22.

·         The stumbling behind has massively improved.  It’s now down to once in a schooling session (probably my incompetency) rather than regular stumbles.

·         His coordination has improved.  We can now canter and trot poles, whereas before he just fell over them!

Sophia and Macbeth at the World Dressage Challenge

“I have concluded:

·         I believe that the ArcEquine has given Macbeth the strength to deal with the summer heat and therefore he wants to keep working. He looks and feels happy and fit, which gives me great confidence that the ArcEquine is also working to heal my injured horse. 

·         It appears to send a horse into immediate deep relaxation (almost a hypnotised state), which is lovely to see; they even ignore the flies! It is great to know that in stressful situations you have a non-invasive, non pharmaceutical option to hand that works quickly. 

·         The machine is very easy to use and both my groom and I very quickly mastered the buttons!

·         The support from Ian (Thirkell) at ArcEquine is brilliant. He's caring and sympathetic but provides very clear instructions and gives you a push when you're being a bit pathetic!

·         I am now running the initial six week programme on my eventer Griffin to see what ‘magical’ things might happen. This boy is grumpy and extremely suspicious of everything, so when he eventually allowed me to pop the unit on for the first time today, he instantly fell asleep in his box. I'm hoping that after a season of pottering (we were bored and I was thinking of retiring him) that we'll be back on the XC circuit this season. 

·         As for Cookie (Monster), I decided it would be a good idea to attempt the hill and walk him round the polo pitch. Sandwiched between two old horses, he was happy and forward and then he saw the big open space! After imitating a helium balloon on a string with numerous rears and bounces (he floats and you feel nothing on the rope), he then decided some ‘passage’ trot was the thing to do (it did look beautiful).  Needless to say, we won’t be doing that again. The huge relief was that his injury didn’t flare up and he was sound the next day – which has given me the kick up the butt to push on with getting on and riding him.”

Postcript – A few days later, Sophia shared an update on her event horse Griffin, saying...

I'm turning into ArcEquine’s number one fan, I jumped Griffin last night and he was pinging me out of the saddle! My coach asked when I'd last given him a good gallop and I said the night before, to which she replied "have you been using that unit again?”